RUN2GETHER – PhD in Mapping Runners using AI and Computer Vision KU Leuven in United Kingdom

RUN2GETHER at KU Leuven is an interdisciplinary PhD opportunity focused on mapping runners using AI and computer vision. The project uses running training groups and events as living laboratories to study how human movement, social identity, technology, and urban infrastructure interact.

The PhD research in this position centers on video and data analysis in real-life environments, with the goal of extracting useful information such as pose, step frequency, synchrony, and other movement parameters. The recorded data will come primarily from video, supplemented by wearable sensor data such as IMU measurements, enabling AI-based tracking of individual runners. The work combines controlled experiments with measurements taken during real-world running events.

An additional part of the project is the development of an interactive interface such as a chatbot or visual tool to efficiently collect subjective data from runners while they are running. The broader RUN2GETHER project also aims to advance understanding of collective running, health, social cohesion, and the interaction between runners and urban infrastructures such as bridges and running tracks.

The position is embedded in a larger initiative with three PhD students working closely together across disciplines including engineering, sports psychology, movement and rehabilitation sciences, biomechanics, and structural engineering. The primary work location is KU Leuven Campus De Nayer in Sint-Katelijne-Waver.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should have a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; strong interest in digital signal processing, machine learning, and computer vision is expected; experience or interest in biomechanics and experimental data collection is an asset. The posting also emphasizes a multidisciplinary mindset, creativity, initiative, independence, teamwork, communication skills, responsibility, and willingness to take on some teaching tasks. Candidates who have not yet graduated but will have a strong CV by the deadline are encouraged to apply.

Funding note: the successful candidate is expected to write a personal funding application with support from the supervisors. Specific stipend or tuition details are not provided in the posting.

Application window: deadline is 14 August 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time.

Contact: Prof. dr. Patrick Vandewalle ([email protected]).